


Stone & Feather (Which is heavier?)

by Jackal_Cackle



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animal Death, Animal Traits, Because of Reasons, Blood and Injury, But only a bit, Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Eren is older than in the anime, Feral Behavior, Feral Eren Yeager, Grisha Yeager Being an Asshole, Levi is also aged down a bit, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Titans, Winged Carla Yeager, Winged Eren Yeager, Wingfic, lore changes, no beta we die like squad levi, sorry carla
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:41:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22980406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackal_Cackle/pseuds/Jackal_Cackle
Summary: Eren was born beyond the Stone’s reach, its tall ridges were a rare sight in his early years. His mother rarely spoke of it and she forbade him from going anywhere near it. She said she raised him in the ways of the forest, not civilization.She didn’t mention the culture often, usually only pointing out the foolishness of the Stone-people. She explained that she didn’t always live in the forest. One day, she left her nest, constructed of careful weaving and levied in one of the tallest trees there. She fell in love with a man of the Stone, she said he was human, not Avian like they were. He had no wings. He was appalled at that, not having wings?Raised in the western forest, Eren hunts and protects the creatures alongside his mother. They fly free and unhindered by the ideas that chained the Stone-people to their Stone. The titans are but a pest to them, nothing of note or worry. That is until the Stone-people venture into their corner of the world, bringing change and curiosity into their home. Eren's eyes are caught by the strange alpha-trio, especially the one the one with silver eyes.Then the Stone is threatened and Eren finds himself inexplicably tangled in it all.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 49
Kudos: 286





	1. Nestling Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been brewing on my computer for far too long. It was splintered into several works and it took me a long afternoon to braid it all together into one. Some ideas are a bit choppy and I'm sure my tenses fluctuate quite a bit. Sorry about that, this is the first fic I've published in years but I figured I have so many drafts lying around, they can become _something_.  
> Anyways, the pair's ages are kind of vague through it all so its not really necessary to mention exact ages but Eren's a bit older and Levi's a bit younger. Eren and Levi won't really have any sort of shipping until Eren is older.  
> Updates might be a bit slow but I'm writing out what I can ahead of time. Once I get in the swing of things, I'll be able to write chapters faster.
> 
> Eren and Carla speaking German: _"Careful, hatchling."_  
>  Animal-speak: _**Of course, Guardian-Childe.**_  
>  Stone-Dialect/Wall-speak: "What do you mean?"  
> Eren's Thoughts: _That means death for you and me._

In the western forest, many apex predators prowled the dark corners. Both predator and prey thrived in the forest’s clutches. Wolves owned the land, keeping to high-faced cliffs, hidden groves, and conspicuous ridges. The snakes ruled the underground, chasing rabbits and mice, taking old burrows for their own. The birds ruled the treetops, feasting on high-flying insects that also took haven there, they ate seeds and fruits from the bountiful trees. 

Prey such as deer adapted to have the speed necessary to dodge clumsy titan feet and curious reaching hands. However, few titans existed in the forest now, most kept out or eradicated by the Guardian. 

She watched from the boughs of the trees with sharp eyes, sharp claws, and an even sharper sword. The last of her kind in the forest, a human-like creature outsmarted and cared for them all. Unlike the humans, her hair was mixed with bird feathers and her blunt human canines had been exchanged for a sharper, more practical pair. Long, sharp talons replaced the nails on her hands and feet. 

Large six-meter wings settled on her back, each wing being nine and a half feet long. The feathers shifted from mottled brown to a light, barred white. For a long time, she was the only one. Each and every animal welcomed her presence. 

Wolves allowed her in their dens and to let her touch their pups. Snakes delivered her gifts of precious gems. Birds flew with her and shared their fruits. Deer would let her pet them or help them when wounded. 

Then, she was flanked by a shadow. This one smaller but smelled the same. It had bright eyes and short wings. The Guardian became a little more reclusive for several springs as the child sprung up like a weed. 

—————— 

The wolf raised her head and howled, calling her pack mates, she had found tracks of a deer herd. When she lowered her head to sniff the ground again, she missed the shadow that loomed over her, excusing it for a bird. 

She snorted as dirt went up her nose, before following the tracks a little further into the shrubs, the scent was curious. It smelt of dead deer rather than the warm, tasty scent of deer’s venison. 

She heard rustling in the bushes and gave a coarse bark, alerting nearby wolves. Unlike her similar kind she expected to greet her, something lunged from the undergrowth with a snarl. 

She yelled in surprise as she was sent tumbling and something dug into her, pain rippling her side before she blacked out. A trill and then the creature stood up, his kill made, a deer’s leg bone in one hand. 

Cracklings of branches made him crouch down and heft up the limp wolf. Before putting his wings to work and raising him into the canopy and to his high branched nest. Noises continued below him but the pack would be fine, its numbers were plentiful and the Alpha couple were expecting pups to arrive in the thawing of Winter. 

He thanked the wolf for all it would provide them before lifting his hunting blade. He made sure it was dead before skinning it and taking all the meat he needed off of it, before picking up its remains and placing them back on the ground. 

With any luck, animals that needed the food would take it or it would return back to the soil. He didn’t waste time to place it any further than clearing away and went back to his roost. He ate some of the meat he had taken off of it, not bothering to cook it, his stomach would handle it just as a wolf's would.

He licked his hands clean, before cleaning his face like the squirrels that shared his domain. He wouldn’t need to hunt for a couple of days, and curled up in the gathering of grass, cloth and moss that was his bed. Mother wasn’t around at the moment, so he had left her portion nearby the fire pit, carefully wrapped and put there with a ruby he had gotten from his favorite snake grotto. 

There was a nice breeze today, rustling the leaves above him and giving him glances of the sky. Soon, his eyes slid shut bringing dreams with them. 

—————— 

Eren was born beyond the Stone’s reach, its tall ridges were a rare sight in his early years. His mother rarely spoke of it and she forbade him from going anywhere near it. She said she raised him in the ways of the forest, not civilization. 

She didn’t mention the culture often, usually only pointing out the foolishness of the Stone-people. She explained that she didn’t always live in the forest. One day, she left her nest, constructed of careful weaving and levied in one of the tallest trees there. She fell in love with a man of the Stone, she said he was human, not Avian like they were. He had no wings. He was appalled at that, not having wings? He couldn’t imagine something more _terrifying_. They were as essential as his arms, for Seasons’ sake! 

His mother laughed, explaining that humans didn’t need wings as they did. Instead, they constructed the formidable Stone, rings of barriers against the Titans. 

_“_ _But,_ _they’re trapped? Like a rabbit encircled by a snake!”_ He’d balked, she gave a solemn smile. 

_“That is how they chose to live.”_

She fled the Stone after two cycles-- _years_ of living there, when her mate, his father, injected her with something. She said it did nothing but it tarnished their trust and she left. She chose to birth him beyond the Stone despite owning a house in a different part of the Stone. She wanted him to get the head start she had. 

She explained that as Avians, they were born of a species and temperament. Carla herself was a Great Horned Owl, and she suspected that he too would be a bird of prey. They wouldn’t know what species until he turned twelve, but they had a general idea. She had taken an “encyclopedia”, she had laughed something fierce when she saw his face as he tried to read it. It was full of beautifully colored birds and nearly as thick as a fox’s tail.

As they looked at each wing-type, they found that unlike her round, silent-attuned wings, his were longer and more angular. However, they were still built for striking. As a nestling, his feathers ranged from dark browns to an unusual viridian, matching his eyes. It was a toss-up if his wings would molt into their current coloring or into his actual specie colors. His mother found his obsession with checking his wings’ colors adorable and taught him about plant dyes. He could use them to decorate his wings for battle, or for Spring. At the time, he had gagged and declared he would never want a mate, especially if they didn’t have wings. 

She had smiled once more, patting him on the head. 

“You do not have to have one, _Vögelchen_ _,_ " She said, although in Stone-dialect, her smile widened as his feathers puffed up in indignation at his nickname. 

“ _Why did they trap themselves?_ ” He asked again, remaining in their native language. She sighed and grabbed her sword; it had a black hilt and a long blade. Two white feathers bound in twine wrapped the handle. 

“They make weapons, like this, they carry them in _zwei_ ,” She grimaced. “ _Blades like these kill the titans by cutting through the nape.”_

She pointed to her own, making a line across, he blinked. 

“ _Why do they kill the titans?”_ His mother’s face twisted in indecision but relented. 

“ _They eat humans, that is why our nest is up high and the humans hide in the Stone.”_

He soaked in all she said, anger burning in his gut at the clumsy and monstrous creatures. He committed it all to memory and pushed it into the back of his mind. 

His twelfth birthday arrived and the change was immediate. His fluffy down was shoved away by his growing flight feathers and he was all the happier for it. Sure, for a while, he was itchy but he didn’t care. Soon, he would be able to _fly._

As the feathers grew in, his mother created a harness. It wrapped around her middle and shoulders, carefully away from her wings’ flight range. It had another set of straps attached for him, securing him in at the same points. She would fly, allowing him to stretch his wings and build his strength to keep his posture straight in the air. This way, she taught him how to detect wind currents and thermals. 

Finally, when his feathers’ dark brown and viridian gave way to more complex coloring, his mother announced his species. He turned out to be a Golden Eagle, much to his glee and his mother’s contentment. Her son was just as much a hunter as she. She warned him that feathers could fall out just before Spring, changing back to his green-blue hues to attract a mate. (She teased him endlessly when he refused to believe he would ever have a mate because, “ _that’s gross!”)_

One Summer morning, his mother brought him to the edge of the nest, saying that there was something down there. He looked over, finding nothing but the green foliage of the forest, when he turned to look at her, she grinned and shoved him out of the nest. He’d shrieked and pinwheeled as she dove alongside him. 

“ _Fly, my little bird, fly,_ " She said in encouragement as he plummeted towards the earth. As he fell, other birds flew besides his mother, smaller birds fell with him. They all chirped in a panic as their parents looked on. 

Some threw open their wings to glide safely, others flapped until they started going forward, and some kept falling. Those that kept falling were caught safely by their parents and flown back into the sky to start the process again. Eren tore his eyes and realized he was a only several meters up. His eyes clenched shut as he braced for the impact. 

Something screamed in his head and his wings threw themselves open. The feathers, as they brushed the air, made his eyes snap open and his mind was utterly blank as he flapped. The wind created by his flapping buffered the other birds and gave them momentum to climb higher. He followed before joy and euphoria flooded him. 

" _I can fly!”_ He whooped as he rose towards his mother who extended a hand with a tearful smile. 

“ _Yes, you can,”_ She managed to rasp. “ _My little hatchling’s growing up.”_

They went back to the nest and hugged, celebrating with a warm meal. 

—————— 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didja like it? Let me know in the comments below.  
> It's a bit nerve-wracking to post something again if I'm honest. Especially one that will be a bit lengthy. I told myself I would start with a couple-chapter fic but that's been thrown out of the window.  
> But I genuinely love this idea too much to let my muse fade.
> 
> Next chapter will be up soon!


	2. Strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit short :c but the next chapter will be longer. 
> 
> Eren and Carla speaking German: _"Careful, hatchling."_  
>  Animal-speak: _**Of course, Guardian-Childe.**_  
>  Stone-Dialect/Wall-speak: "What do you mean?"  
> Eren's Thoughts: _That means death for you and me._

Eren jerked awake as a high shrieking call echoed through the woods. He panicked but knew it wasn’t his mother that made that sound. It was Merna, a barn owl that lived in a high hollow on the eastern forest border. His mother, her call distinctly different, answered in a high shriek. A quick acknowledgment and warning to all of the forest to be on alert. He readied to fly but his mother appeared from the woods, landing in the nest and ducking low as she grabbed her sword. 

Her wings arched above her. 

“ _Mother?”_

“ _Quiet!”_ She hissed at him. 

He ducked besides her, wings curling against his back in fear. He could hear something strange. Something like the sound of when his mother accidentally knocked her blade against the trees’ bark. The sound of metal digging into wood and his mother took off into the canopy. 

“ _Stay here,”_ She ordered and then disappeared. He crept to the edge of the nest, glancing down cautiously. He heard more curious sounds but he didn’t dare to lay his eyes on them as he stepped away from the edge. His mother would have his _skin_ if he exposed himself. Shouts, neighs, and crunches sounded but eventually faded towards the Stone. His mother didn’t return for several days, and he didn’t leave the nest until she returned, much to her relief. He embraced her once she landed before rearing back at the unusual scent on her. 

“ _You stink!”_ He barked and he realized she was wearing different clothing. She had a _thing_ on her back, too. She smelled of _strangestrangestrange_ _._

“ _Hush, little bird,”_ She said as she took off the back-thing and set it on the ground, opening it. 

“ _W_ _hat is that?”_

_“It's called a knapsack,”_ His mother replied as she removed more clothing and trinkets. She held a blood-red length of cloth to him. He blinked at it in curiosity. “ _That is a scarf.”_

She stood up and took the length back before wrapping it around his neck and atop his shoulder. His fingers reached up to brush it. 

“ _It's so soft and warm,"_ He hummed as he rubbed it between his fingers. 

Besides that, she brought him a cloak, a new pair of ‘trousers’, and a couple new long-sleeve shirt that all resembled each other pretty closely. 

“I went to the Stone,” She said. “ _To get all of this for us. Those people will come back again so we must be cautious. Spread the word.”_

He nodded sharply and took off into the air, his wings carrying him true to the ground. He let loose his own far-reaching call, resulting in replying howls, hisses, barks, and chirps. Some of each animal arrived in the clearing, curious despite being in such close quarters with their natural enemies and predators. 

“ ** _Humans will come again, be on-guard,”_ ** He told them to their understanding and displeasure. **_"Spread the word, keep your families safe.”_ **

A chorus of agreements, **_We will follow your word, Guardian-Childe._ **

He returned to their nest, trepidation in his heart. His mother sighed and rubbed at her temples, worry and uncertainty knitting her brow. He hoped the Stone-people would never come to their reaches ever again and yet... he still wanted to see them. 

A couple Seasons past and his mother left to the Stone again, leaving with a high shriek that announced her departure replied to by various animals once more. The Stone-people came again, before his mother returned, and he was left to raise the alarm. Scents of fire, of sweat, of blood, carried on the wind, pulling at his curiosity violently. He restrained himself, keeping to his nest despite them being just north of him. 

He could hear voices, three voices that he distinctly remembered from their previous visit. He bit his lip, his sharp teeth pressing warningly against the flesh. Then, he could hear the yelping of a pup. His heart leaped as it cried, a clear cry for its mother and pack. He leapt from the nest, flapping as quietly and quickly as he could. 

His eyes peered through the dark that had fallen over the woods as shouts from the Stone-people sounded. Suddenly, he could see the light cast by the fire in the clearing. Shadows danced in the tree branches and upon the floor. 

_Foolish,_ he rumbled, _the ground is death._

Voices clamored and the yelping of the pup rose in volume. He slammed into a nearby tree trunk, digging his talons into it to peer around the side. The three voices rose up again but now he could _see_ who was speaking. 

The one that sounded female who constantly shouted had the messiest hair he’d ever seen (and he lives in the wild, so that’s saying something). The deep, calm voice belonged to a man with interesting eyebrows and blonde, partially shaved, hair. The last matched his low, dead-pan voice, he had black hair that folded down the sides of his face, sometimes obscuring stormy, gray eyes. He was the only one that really scared Eren. 

Due to being so much closer, he could catch a menagerie of scents including the pup’s scent of fear. Wild-Hair smelled of something bitter and minty, Heavy-brows smelled of something akin to the inner tree bark, and Silver-eye smelled of crisp lemons. However, they all carried a faint smell of blood. He crept onto the nearby branch, preparing his nerves to pounce. 

His hand brushed something strange and he flinched away before blinking down. One of the green cloaks lay spread on the branch. He brushed it again, it felt similar to his scarf. There was nothing wrong with it, so why was it just sat there? Emblazoned on it, strangely, were wings. He was utterly fascinated by the pattern and snatched it up. He rolled it as tightly as he could and tucked it away. 

He braced against the branch; his legs tensed as he readied to lunge. His wings rose, feathers spreading. 

Wild-hair gently took the pup into her hands before cooing into its face, much to the pup’s sudden delight. He shook his head, focusing, he needed to return the pup to its home. He looked at it, trying to recognize it. It was pale, almost white. He thought hard but the last white-coated alpha pair had just passed, he blinked in realization, this pup was orphaned. It had a surrogate mother in one of the packs. 

Would it be so wrong to let the pup go with them? It could have a potentially different life. _No,_ he hissed at himself. _It belongs here, where its parents lie._

And yet, the pup was enjoying the company of the Stone-people. He stood up, tucking his wings beneath his own gray cloak, he pulled his hood up with caution. He huffed a breath before realizing Silver-eye was gone. Eren ducked around the trunk, making to jump off the branch before a voice broke the silence around him. 

“Oi!” The lemon scent mixed with the sharp tone made him flinch stiff, fear and adrenaline filling his body. “Where’s your gear?” 

Silver-eye had seen him. He stood there, brows drawn downwards. The Stone-dialect knowledge was still very basic and while he understood _most_ of the sentence, “your” and “gear” were complete _gibberish._ He panicked and tried to figure out what ‘r’ at the end of “you” meant. Was it a way of describing himself? Or the other? Perhaps someone else? Gray eyes narrowed. 

In his panic, he jerked his head to the right and the man’s own head snapped in that direction. When Silver-eye glanced back, acidic words on his tongue, Eren had fled into the canopy. 

The whirring of metal hooks sounded and he couldn’t help but chirp nervously, hiding as high as he could. Silver-eye went a bit too far in search of him and he made his true escape. 

That was way too close. 


	3. Migration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very procrastinated chapter but it has finally arrived!  
> I mostly went MIA because I had to tackle some really difficult decisions for this fic. Mostly, it's ending. As you know, both the manga and the anime (the latter being what this fic is based off of) have essentially entered their final stages. That left me with a conundrum, did I want to tell the story exactly but with Winged!Eren thrown in? Not really, if I did that, you could just go watch the anime or read the manga and imagine Eren with wings. So, then I was faced with did I want to just do massive time-jumps? Did I want to change the base lore completely? Did I want to do half-half and leave it open-ended?
> 
> Massive time-jumps just weren't satisfying enough, neither was an open-ending. I like to have my stories wrapped in a little red bow, maybe with some possibilities left there but not the story in its entire epilogue. However, I had to also face the fact that I don't trust myself to be consistent enough to follow the series' basic events to the very end. I found going the AU-route was the best, though and so a lot of things are to change and thusly, the tags have been updated as of this chapter's upload. Though, my idea might change slightly so beware of that.
> 
>  **Spoilers for the changes I will be making, if you do not wish to know, you can skip to the next bold bit! But be fore-warned, a lot of Titan-lore changes are coming.**  
>  Titans are caused by an artifact that once belonged to Eren's race, more on that will be in the story to come. Important thing to know: It requires energy in exchange to make titans, so they can’t just factory-line a billion into existence.  
> Titan-shifters still exist! They possess said artifact but it can only give six people the ability at a time, the ability cannot be removed from the previous owner unless they are dead; their form will automatically return to the artifact. This is still given to other people through injection. That means that yes! Eren still has to deal with being a titan-shifter, poor guy.
> 
>  **Spoilers for the fic over**  
>  All that said, there are other changes I'll be making to pacing and such (going to put more emphasis on the time with the Corps) but otherwise, that's about the heavy-heavy stuff! I plan to wrap up this fic in 15 to 25 chapters but we shall see! Hope you'll still enjoy what you're reading and I'll get another chapter up soon enough.

The stress of it made his stomach turn and he returned to the nest, fingers tugging at his feathers in worry. He could make out the shape of his mother on the horizon and guilt pulled at him. He pulled out the cloak and brushed his clawed thumb over it. He glanced between it and his mother, before hurriedly tucking it into his bed. His mother landed at that moment, drawing in her wings, she smiled. 

He summoned a smile but it felt tight on his face. 

“Mother!” He greeted a little too quickly. She glanced at him in suspicion before her nose twitched. He could see the moment she detected the scent of Stone-people. 

" _They are here?!”_ She asked sharply and he flinched as she took in a more audible sniff. His heart jumped as she prowled straight past him, sniffing and looking for a moment before she gave a low growl and pulled the cloak from its hiding place without struggle.

“ _Eren.”_ His mother’s tone was dark. His wings tucked around his shoulders as he ducked his head in guilt. “ _Where did you get_ this.” 

He swallowed dryly as his mother turned, the cloak gripped in her fingers and her expression thunderous. He wilted under her gaze further.

“ _I-I found it,”_ He said, a half-lie and a half-truth, voice light and tentatively innocent.

“ _Found it?”_

_“Yes...?”_ He tried to smile, hands open before him in some attempt at convincing her.

His mother dropped the cloak back onto his bed and he almost chirred with relief until she rumbled low in her chest. 

“ _You didn’t follow what I told you, Eren_ ,” Her voice deathly flat and he straightened up, ready to argue but she continued. “Y _ou disobeyed me. You went to see the Stone-people--_ ” 

“ _No_ _! I didn’t!_ ” He barked even as her wings spread behind her, he felt so guilty and yet, so angry that the lie passed through his lips without hesitation. 

“ _Don’t come back until you realize your mistake._ ” 

" _What do--_ ” Her wings flung forward; feathers splayed out like clawed fingers. It frightened him and sent him scrambling out of the nest. She let out a low timbering, a noise akin to a tree creaking. It was one of the most foreboding sounds he had ever heard and he threw himself in the opposite direction with a instinctive high-pitched cry, a noise he hadn't made since being a nestling. It was a call for help from a flockmate, but his mother didn't falter as his wings carried him away. 

He flew straight to the snake glen, sniffling as he landed. He landed on a rock, the warm surface unnoticed as he dropped down and wrapped his arms and wings around himself. He tucked his knees under his chin and blinked at his feathers, trying to dismiss the tears that were gathering. He refused to cry! 

“ ** _Guardian-childe?_ ** " A snake greeted, slithering up to him. It was somewhat small and green with amber eyes. “ ** _Are you okay?”_**

He wiped his nose and tried to wipe his eyes, embarrassment making his cheeks red. Snakes gossiped and he was sure that it would get out that the Guardian-Childe, their apparent protector in the absence of his mother, was _crying._ They would treat him like he was weak.

“ ** _I’m fine_** ,” He replied, though he was still upset and his voice was creaky. The snake seemed to make a face as it flicked its tongue out. 

“ ** _You’re crying, hatchling. Where is Guardian-Mother?_** " Eren purposefully looked off to the side of the glen, a forced wrinkle to his nose.

“ ** _At the nest,_** " He grumbled, brows furrowed. “ _ **And**_ ** _I’m not a hatchling, I’m a fledgling now! I can hunt and fly just fine by myself._** " 

“ ** _Strong hunter, yes, strong flier, true,_** " The snake agreed. “ _ **But st**_ ** _ill naïve, still too trusting, too brash and incautious. All the Forest knows of your adventures._ **" 

“ ** _I’m careful!_** " He bit out; wings puffed up with irritation. What was with every creature he knew wanting to control him? He was careful and he was strong enough to take care of himself! He didn’t need anyone else, not now, and not ever! “ ** _They didn’t learn my secret!_** _”_

“ ** _Ah, but they almost did, Childe._** " Eren scowled, he opened his mouth the argue but the snake continued on. Frustration flared in his chest at not being able to get a word in edge-wise. “ _ **The way the foxes tell it, y**_ ** _ou were seen, nearly caught, and left a long-feather behind._** " 

Eren felt like all his breath had been stolen from him. His jaw went slack and his heart almost stopped. He left a feather behind? Unbidden, his eyes fell to his wings even though he knew he wouldn't be able to spot the missing primary, if it fell from simple flight, it was already loose and ready for molt.

Suddenly, he realized why his mother was so angry, so scared. There were old tales still among the Stone-people, of long, unexplained feathers, ones from his kind of course. When they were found, they were coveted and sparked searches. According to past along tales, it had ended in flocks dead; it was why he and his mother might just be the last ones left. Guilt filled his heart as well as fear. Now, recalling his mother's face, he could see the terror hidden beneath the rage.

“ ** _You see the err of your words, Childe_** ,” The snake hummed, seeming satisfied. “ ** _Seems there is hope for you yet. Remember, one day, likely after my own death,_ ** _you_ **_will be our protector, our Guardian-Brother._ **" 

The snake slithered closer and deposited a bright green stone before him. He took it, hands shaking. 

“ ** _You were lucky this time, fledgling_** ,” The snake said after a moment of quiet. " ** _Go home, speak with Guardian-Mother. May your sky be bright._ **" 

Then the snake slithered away without a glance back. In a couple heartbeats, it had disappeared into the grasses, leaving Eren alone with his thoughts. They wound around his mind, digging into the crevices of guilt and dragging it out to light with all the speed of creeping vines. He stared at the stone for a moment longer, then he rose to his feet with less grace than usual. He needed to return to the nest.

* * *

His mother didn’t speak to him nor look at him when he came back. His fingers worked over the green gem in his hands. His wings curled behind him as he chirped in request for acknowledgement. Her eyes slid to his and he averted them. 

“ _I’m sorry for going down to the forest floor to see the Stone-people,_ ” He mumbled, hands wringing. “ _I should have listened to you. I... I left a feather behind and I-I put you in danger._ ” 

He then tottered forward, each step unsure as his wings stayed tense and ready to flee. His mother just sighed and gave a weary smile as she accepted the green stone. She pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

“ _You’re forgiven, little bird,_ ” She said as she loosed another sigh. “ _I knew your stubborn nature would get the best of you eventually. We must remain careful and vigilant; the feather will lose popularity soon enough._ ” 

He only nodded, giving a tentative glance upwards. Her face was pensive and he shirked under the gaze, nervous. She took in a deep breath before she spoke again.

“ _We will go to Shinganshina, together, while this settles down,_ ” His mother said. Eren’s face lit up like a firefly before shuttering with uncertainty and then once more glowing with anticipation. 

“ _Really?_ ” He asked, almost afraid of the answer. 

“ _Yes,_ ” She replied, calm before pressing two hands onto his shoulders. “ _You need to be sure that you can handle it_.” 

“ _I can do it, mom!_ ” He crowed in protest, eager. 

“ _That means_ **_no_ ** _flying,_ **_no_ ** _wings,_ ” She said sharply, putting a little more pressure on him. “ _We mustn't let the Stone-people see what we are, if we ever do, we can **never** return._” 

“I can do it, mom! I can!” He promised, a hand clutching one of hers as he stuttered Stone-Dialect. She still seemed nervous, but even her trepidation bent beneath the weight of Eren's innocent excitement. 

When they packed up what they needed, they shared a last wild-caught meal. As they took flight, his mother let out her signature cry of departure, followed by Eren’s own. The forest echoed them as they flew, along with calls of good fortune and best wishes. His mother’s wings didn’t falter in their motions, and he did his best to mimic her. The moment he saw the plains though, his wings missed a beat. A long expanse of _green_ grass that if he stood in it, would surely brush his hips, if not his chest! Wonder filled him, how could anything live down there? It was so out in the open!

The Stone was farther than Eren thought but once he saw it, he _knew_ it. It was tall, nearly as tall as the forest trees— _nearly_. Its top was flat and the color of a boulder. By the time they were almost above it, night had fallen. The whole flight, it had only grown bigger and bigger and bigger. 

“ _Dive,”_ His mother ordered and angled towards the top of the wall. His mother twisted at the last moment, silent wings carrying her over the flat ridge, not a feather daring to touch its top. Eren followed suit, a finger reaching to touch it before withdrawing as he recalled his mother’s late-night warning, (“ _Never touch the Stone, it lures even the bravest to hid_ _e_ _behind it."_ ) And even as the wonder of it put stars in his eyes, he couldn’t help the feeling of being trapped. He followed his mother down into the strange structures. She folder her massive wings in and pulled her cloak around herself; he copied her, wincing as his wings complained. He had never pulled them so tight to his back... it wasn't exactly painful so much as foreign. 

“You’ll get used to it,” She said, an empathetic smile on her face. He looked at her in awe, she almost looked like one of the Stone-people—wingless! 

He looked around at the strange structures around him. They were all very square and foreign to him, looking like tree stumps that had been shaved flat on all sides. She led him to a cozy one and put a strange thing into a tall plank of wood. 

“ _What is that_?” Eren whispered. 

“It's a ‘key’ and it ‘unlocks’ the ‘door’,” She said, making motions to each thing. With a soft click, the _door_ swung open. She ushered him in and shut it behind herself. They set down what meager belongings they brought along before Eren began exploring _everything_ , he touched, tasted, sniffed, and looked at everything he could. There were some things he recalled, _table_ , _bed_ , _seat_ , _stove._ Other things were new to him, like the _cabinets_ , _window_ , _curtains_ , _counters_ , and _couch_. Many strange c-named things that puzzled him with their purpose, texture, and _hinges_. 

His mother was patient, answering his questions as she cleaned up some things and moved them around. _Dishes_ , she had called them. 

She explained that this was the home that she and his father had lived together in but her voice was curt and she offered very little detail. She brought out a strange contraption, looking similar to those black-vines that the Stone-people wore. 

“It's a wing harness,” She said, motioning for him to take off his shirt and turn around. She laid the _straps_ over his shoulders and carefully arranged his wings and feathers. With a small _click_ she fastened a strap across the top of his chest. “It will train your wings to fold in.” 

He tried to move his wings but they only gave a feeble twitch, again, it wasn’t uncomfortable, just a bit strange, though perhaps a little more comfortable than consciously tucking them in. He took a step forward and almost tipped backwards, his mother steadied him as he tried to rebalance himself. 

“What about my feathers?” He asked, worried about them being bent up. He caught his reflection in a _mirror_ hung up, he blinked at himself, he looked so... normal?

“The straps are forgiving,” She said, voice tight. “It was... specially designed for us--for our kind.” 

He nodded his head and held his tongue for his mother's sake, despite the curiosity that continued to burn. She led him to a separate _room_ , with a strange bed and _window_. 

“Get some rest,” She urged and he was glad to lay down. The bed was a little strange and different to the one he had in the nest, almost too soft and mushy. “Goodnight, Eren.” 

“Goodnight, mom,” He returned in kind, settling down. She cast him a last smile before turning away and blowing out the candle, casting the hall in dark for a few moments before his eyes adjusted. He let his eyes slip shut as the emotional and physical fatigue of the day washed over him. Tomorrow would surely have more wonders in store for him.

* * *

He awoke with the sun as usual, leaping from bed and then stopping short as he stumbled and almost fell. He frowned and flexed his wings. Right, wing harness. He shook himself off and continued down the hall, chirping a greeting to his mother who, too, was already awake. 

“Now, before you rush off for the day,” She said as she placed a bowl on the table before him. “There are rules you must follow.”

He frowned in confusion, “No flying, no showing wings, no talk about forest outside of Stone, right?”

His mother sighed, sitting down with her own bowl. “Almost. The Stone is called the Walls, okay?”

”Got it!” He had this!

After eating his morning meal, he was out the door before long, dressed in a clean shirt and trousers. He had stared in wonder at how well the wing harness hid his extra set of limbs, though, his mother had explained that their wings also did part of the work. She had no idea how but they compressed themselves with enough training. Eren didn’t pay all that much attention to it, more excited to get going. His mother explained she would be staying home in case he grew overwhelmed and needed help. He nodded to everything she asked and then undertook his adventure. The streets were quiet with only a few passerby, being so early and people having their own things to do. As he moved closer to the town center, admiring the _houses_ and walkways, people grew more common until he came upon a bustling square. He edged around it, hair rising in discomfort at being so crowded in. There were so many of them! And they all looked so different! Their voices varied like the songs of birds and he hurried to get distance between him and the hub of activity.

As he walked closer to a field, he spotted a group of children, perhaps a couple years younger than him. They were all crowded around a low brick wall, three larger kids closing in around a smaller one. To Eren’s curiosity, the smaller one had a bright shock of yellow for hair, he wandered closer, realizing the children were yelling.

”Give it back!” The small boy shouted, brilliant blue eyes glistening with frustrated tears. 

“Or what? Gonna call your grandpa?” One of the larger ones goaded, a _book_ clutched in a meaty fist. The yellow-haired boy—Sunheart—couldn’t say anything more, either too upset or agitated to make sounds despite his mouth trying to form them. Eren was struck with the image of larger wolf pups picking on a smaller one, stealing its food and damning it to grow even weaker. His lips pulled in a snarl—bullies.

He marched straight towards the group.

“Ew, I think he’s gonna cry,” Another boy snickered. 

“Hey!” Eren snapped, coming within a few meters of them. “Give it back.”

The boy with the book in his hand frowned for a moment. “Who in the Walls are you? Clear off or you’ll get hurt too.”

”Never seen him before,” Another murmured and the bullies seemed a little unsettled. Good, Eren thought viciously. Let’s keep it that way.

”Give it back, or I hurt you,” He said, chest puffed and his own fists clenched as he stalked up to stand by Sunheart. “Will lose.”

”Fine then,” The large kid said and lunged for Eren who met him with eager fists and nails. Eren fought like a beast protecting its home, all wild viciousness with no care for honor or fairness. The other kids tried to join in and beat on him too but when he tackled an interloper hard enough to slam them into unconsciousness against the cobbled path, they turned tail and ran. The large kid took off the moment Eren’s attention was off of him, crying pathetically at the sting of his scratches. Eren gave mock-chase with a loud hiss, sending them all running that much faster, he huffed with satisfaction and turned to the book that had been abandoned in the scuffle. He picked it up, brushed it off, and examined the cover for a moment, though he couldn’t read the title, it had the picture of horses on it.

Horses were beautiful creatures to Eren, though he had mostly only seen them from time to time when the Stone-people or, rather, the Cape-wings visited. They seemed steadfast and powerful, he would love to pet one someday. He shook himself of his musing and turned, offering the book back to Sunheart.

”Here,” He said. “Book.”

”T-thanks,” Sunheart squeaked, a little fearful. Eren frowned again, glancing at himself before pausing. Well, he supposed he did look a sight, bleeding knuckles and a blooming bruise on his jaw. “Who—why?”

”Name Eren,” He replied, all to happy to indulge the other boy. “They are mean, you need help.”

The boy seemed a little embarrassed at that but spoke anyway, “My name’s Armin, nice to meet you, Eren.”

”Nice to meet you,” He mimicked, words a little unfamiliar in his mouth. “What kind of book?”

”Oh!” Sunheart—Armin exclaimed, a little surprised. “It’s a book about the horses of the Walls. It’s really interesting because of how they purposefully breed fast and enduring horses to get even better ones! That’s why they all seem pretty similar...”

Half of the words flew straight over Eren’s head but he nodded along as he pondered on how strange the Stone language was. At least he was getting a better grasp the more Armin babbled on.

”... though there are some that aren’t like that...”

Really, it was kind of... nice? His mother didn’t talk like this, they only spoke when relaying information about the forest or what their day was like. Armin was so much more enthusiastic, so much—younger? Was that what he was looking for?

”And titans don’t even pay attention to them!... I’m rambling, I’m sorry...”

Blinking back into focus, Eren tilted his head as Armin ducked his head in embarrassment and his ears burned red.

”Titans don’t care horses?” He asked and Armin’s brow furrowed for a moment before shaking his head.

”It’s like they only see humans and that’s it,” The boy replied, he seemed a little hesitant, blue eyes glancing up at Eren. “You speak... um...”

”Broken?” Eren offered, unbothered for the most part. It was a little annoying but what did it matter? “I learn language.”

”I see!” Armin hummed, a spark to his eye. “You helped me with those jerks, would you like me to help you learn? I’m sure my grandpa has books for it.”

”You spend time with me?” Eren asked, head canted to the side once more. “Help me, why?”

”Well, you seem nice,” The bright-haired boy answered, a hand rising to his shoulder. “And I don’t have many friends. Besides, I owe you now!”

”You, my friend?” Eren felt giddy, surging forward to hug Armin hard enough to make the boy wheeze. 

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” He managed to croak.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wanted to get more done this chapter BUT I want to gauge responses and I have a much clearer idea of where I’m going next so I wanted to start a fresh doc—I’m also crazy paranoid that this chapter will somehow wipe itself. Expect a chapter by Tuesday! It should be a ways longer and carry us from Eren’s life in Shinganshina to the first Wall-fall.
> 
> However, it will hopefully have some fluffy bits, some relationship building, and then some really quite sad parts. ;-; mind the tags for that


	4. Roosting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling into Stone life is odd, but Eren has his friends to see him through it... if only he knew what was to come next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got a long one for you today!

Eren was elated as he arrived back home, the sun settling behind the walls. After checking his bruise had healed and any blood had been cleaned off, he ran in, closing the door a little rougher than he meant to in his excitement.

“ _Mom!_ ” He called and rushed into the sitting room. He slid to a stop, heart plummeting into his gut at the thunderous expression his mother has on behind the strange woman who turned at his entrance. 

“Oh, is this your son?” The woman asked, smiling bright. “He whistles very well!”

Eren doesn’t know if he should feel flattered or insulted.

His mother coughed into a hand.

“Are you alright?” The woman questioned next, so easily redirected. 

“Just under the weather,” His mother tittered, clearing her throat and waving a hand. “But yes, this is my son. Eren, come introduce yourself.”

“Hello,” He said and then in a brilliant stroke of genius, says, “Nice to meet you!”

“Such good manners!” The woman gasped. “I’m Marn, I just came by to see you in person, oh and to get Carla’s wonderful soup recipe.”

“Too kind,” His mother laughed. Eren wished he hadn’t run into the room, wanting to throw himself out the window. So many of these words and sentences were just a jumble of confusion but he stuck a shy smile to his face and tried to hold on for dear life. The women talked back and forth, Eren chiming in at times when prompted.

“Am twelve,” He answered and Marn hummed.

“His speech is not as bad as you led me to believe,” She said to his mother, who seemed to appraise her son for a moment. “I still can’t understand why your husband—sorry, ex-husband did that to him, what a disgusting man.”

Eren perked up at that, listening intently while his mother sighs. 

“Me neither,” She answered with a shake of her head. “I’m glad that Eren is learning and experiencing new things now.”

The conversation swerved away from the topic and he managed to wait it out without squirming too much.

“Well, I best be on my way!” Marn chirped at last and Eren almost sags with relief. 

“See you again soon,” His mother smiled as she led her friend to the door and exchange goodbyes. He was a little scared when his mother re-entered the room, expecting her to be angry at his slip-up. For a moment, he wonders if she would send him back to the forest so soon. He leapt to his feet, ready to argue but his mother just gives him a strange look.

He cleared his throat, a little awkward before he remembers why he was so excited in the first place.

“I made friend!” He exclaimed and ran up to his mother, spilling every single detail of everything that had happened. Carla’s hands jump to his face, picking out the fading bruise with practiced ease. 

“I knew your temper would get you in trouble soon enough,” She huffed, releasing him as he glanced down with a little guilt. Her fingers curled around his chin and she gave a warm smile. “But, I’m glad you made a friend, Eren.”

He grinned, wide and happy. Armin was the best friend he could ask for, he was sure of it! He was small, sure, but he was smart! Eren bet that Armin could trick him with ease. 

He paused, unsure if he should be insulted by himself.

* * *

The next few days, Eren settled into a sort-of rhythm. He would meet Armin in a small field not far from where he had met the boy just before noon and stay with him until just before sundown. 

“Thank you, Armin,” Eren said then after a moment of thought, tacked on, “Again.”

“It’s no problem!” The blonde ( _not yellow-haired, Eren_ ) boy replied, pleasant. “Can you read this one more time?”

“Mhm!”

This continued for a seven-day— _week_ , _they’re called weeks—_ then they shifted from just pure lessons to also indulging in laughter, jokes, and other fun games. One day, they had stayed playing as the sun dipped beneath the wall and Eren’s ears caught someone calling over the field. Armin perked up, embarrassment and surprise on his face.

“I totally lost track of time!” He shouted, gathering his things into his backpack. “Hey, Eren, I have someone I want you to meet!”

Just then, another call echoed across the field: “Armin?”

“Mikasa, over here!” Armin called back, waving a hand. Someone was coming over, Eren realized, someone just as tall as Armin, so surely it was someone just as young. He blinked as a black-haired girl with _grey eyes!_

She looked just like Silver-eye! Grey eyes and long black hair set on a pale face. He hadn’t seen anyone else with features like Silver-eyes’! Could the two be related? He perked up as she came to a stop.

“Mikasa, this is Eren!” Armin said, pulling Eren’s wondrous attention back to the matter at hand. “Eren, this is Mikasa! He’s the one I’ve been helping.”

“Hello,” Mikasa said cordially but her eyes were sharp. _Speaks few words too!_

“Nice to meet you,” Eren parroted once more, offering a wave. She just bobbed her head in acknowledgement and turned back to Armin who stood.

“You’ll get home safe, right?” Armin asked the brown-haired boy, looking concerned. “We can walk you.”

Eren puzzled the strange words but shook his head. “I will get safe home.”

“Home safe,” Armin corrected before turning to follow Mikasa off the field. “See you tomorrow?”

“See you!” Then Eren was on his way home himself, he made sure to walk at a brisk pace to get there before night fell completely. He was carefully stepping on the bricks along the path, making a game of avoiding the lines until he made it to the street before his own.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood, his feathers bristled, and he froze, wide teal eyes scanning. He felt hunted. His heart thundered in panic, he hadn't felt this way for a _long_ time.

His eyes landed on a shadow, two glass lenses glittering in the low light. A man stood there, hands slack at his sides, jaw tensed. Eren couldn’t move— _move, move, move, RUN._

His limbs refused to obey. The man took a step forward, Eren skittered backwards, an avian wail of _motherhelpmotherhelp_ building in his throat. His chest was heaving as his wings tried to twist and break free of the harness, this man smelt _wrongwrongsicktitansick_ **_kin_ **.

The man took another step forward.

Eren shrieked and his feet finally listened and he fled. He couldn’t hear footsteps behind him but he kept running and running as though the man were right on his heels—maybe he was—that thought only made him scurry faster. He cried out, “ _Mother, mother!_ ”

He heard a door clatter open followed by multiple windows before he made it to his new home, the door flying open to reveal his panicked mother. He dove right past her and tugged her inside roughly as she protested with a sharp, “ _Eren! Stop!_ ”

“ _Danger, danger!_ ” He cried, clutching her skirt. “ _Strange man, wrongwrong-sick-sick-kin!_ ”

His mother froze, before she turned and wrenched the door shut with a slam. She dropped to her knees in front of him and clutched him to her chest, his heaving breaths stuttering with avian cries. She hummed low in her chest, rocking him, but he could feel her rapid heartbeat and he could almost imagine her wings bristling over her shoulders in a threat display. 

They sat there for a while, then his mother led him around to blow out the candles and shutter the windows, then she tucked him into bed. As she hummed and shushed him and comforted him, one thought stuck out among the many.

His mother was scared.

* * *

For the next few days, neither of them left the home or answered knocks at the door. Each time a shadow so much as passed over their front windows, Eren ducked down with a terrified chitter. 

On the fourth day, his mother left to the market, a scarf tucked around her head. When she returned, she comforted him once more.

“You are safe now, Eren,” She explained, eyes gentle and voice calm. “He is gone.”

“...How… how you know?” Eren couldn’t help but ask. “Who is _he_?”

“Eren,” His mother’s voice bordered on warning.

“ _He smells like me! Smells of my blood_ !” He shouted, temper flaring to life. “ _You have to tell me who he is!_ ”

“I will not tell you,” His mother snapped back. “He is gone now and will not return for a long time. Forget about him.”

“ _You must!_ ” He demanded and his mother’s face darkened. She turned on her heel and noisly shuffled dishes around. Eren refused to give up, marching up to her side and hissing in displeasure.

“ _Eren, you will forget about him right now!_ ” She finally shouted. “ _You will never see him again._ ”

“ _So tell me! Who was_ **_he_ ** _?!_ ” His mother broke.

“ _Your. Father,”_ She bit out, a dangerous growl rolling in her chest. “ _Now silence yourself._ ”

Shock shot through him.

His… father?

* * *

“Eren?”  
  


He blinked, glancing up, startled. Armin’s brow creased and he shut the book he was holding.

“Are you okay?” Armin asked tentatively, scooting a little closer. Eren frowned, eyes dropping to his hands in his lap.

“Yes, am okay,” Eren answered, voice a little shaky. “Dis-dist-”

“Distracted?” Eren nodded. “By what?”

“I… my Mother, she tell me of my Father.” Armin perked up, curious but also wary.

“Is that… good?” 

Eren bit his lip and shook his head. “She hates him, we hide for day and night till he leave.”

Armin looked much more concerned. “Walls, Eren, I’m sorry.”

“Thank.”

There were a few moments of silence before Armin got up, brushing off his pants. 

“C’mon, I want to show you something!”

“Okay.”

The two picked up their things and hurried into town, Eren followed Armin down confusing twists and turns, leading Eren to parts he hadn’t seen before. The blonde boy led him to a dead-end, a brick wall rising up with a number of barrels sat just before it. Armin ushered him forward, climbing up onto one barrel and then up onto the small wall. Eren followed suit, climbing up with ease and followed Armin down the other side.

A wide road came up in front of them as they left the alley and they kept walking till they reached the brick curb. A crowd was gathering at each edge of the street, slowly bustling forwards. A loud whistle cut the air and Eren’s head shot up to the plume of green _?_ smoke floating in the sky.

Shouts and calls sounded from the greater Wall and his eyes were drawn to the people at the foot of it. Slowly, with a loud groan that had the crowd quieting down. There were a few clanks that echoed through the quiet buildings and then a portion of the Wall began to _rise._

Eren stared in awe, barely aware of Armin peering at him. Shapes came from under the door, brown and green shadows that had him almost standing on his tip-toes. Heavy hoofbeats slowed as they clopped against the hard ground, the silence remaining over the crowd like a mutual held breath. 

He caught a whisper to his left, “Less than what left, isn’t it?”

Another whisper answered: “Its always that way.”

The shapes grew closer and began to pass him. It was _Them_ , the first Stone-people he had ever seen. The ones with the wings that didn’t flap like his did. That meant--

His eyes hooked onto the male to the right of the approaching group, face placid and eyes firmly straight. _Silver-eye!_ He was still alive! And Wild-hair was just a ways further back, speaking with someone at her side. Eren couldn’t see Brows anywhere though, something he was pleased about. That one scared him the most.

He was so confused; the people had returned from Titan-infested land alive. Wasn’t that something to celebrate? Instead looks of derision, scorn, fear, and grief followed the quiet crowd.

“When are you Scouts gonna have something to show for our daughters’ and sons’ deaths?!” A woman cried. Eren only had half a mind to turn his head to Armin before whispering in confusion.

“Scouts?” Armin nodded quietly.

“The Scouts, they go out of the Walls and try to reclaim, take back, the land outside, or find a way to do it.” Eren scowled, there wasn’t a hint of pride or awe in Armin’s voice, just a disquieting somberness. 

“And that is… bad?” Armin bit his lip. Eren glanced back at the crowd and realized Silver-eye was just about to pass him. He couldn’t help but stare, wonder in his eyes as his equally dark-coated horse carried him steadily down the road.

Eren downright froze when the eyes flickered towards him, nailing him in place as he watched him pass. Just as quickly, the eyes had flicked away, back down the street.

Eren stood there even after the crowd dissipated, asking Armin question after question.

“Thank, Armin!” Eren chirped, spirits raised as he skipped up to his front door. Armin just smiled and waved before following Mikasa to his own home. The girl had slowly begun to come earlier and earlier, oddly missing today till the last moment. He surprised himself at the last second by blurting, “Bye Mikasa!”

The girl faltered in her steps, grey eyes glancing back in surprise before they ebbed back to calm. “Goodnight, Eren.”

The door in front of him swung open and he shut it after him, surprised to see his mother sitting in the kitchen. He hesitated, before going towards his room, a lick of anger still pervading his being. He made it to his room and settled down for sleep.

Unsurprisingly, it was hard to find, and when he did, it was infected with glances of Titans, splashes of blood, and the flash of a silver blade.

* * *

He was surprised when Mikasa was sitting with Armin in their usual meet-up spot beneath the tree in the field. She made no move to leave when he walked up, seemingly busy with her reading of a book with incredibly small text. She payed him little mind and so he focused on Armin and his lessons, eventually yawning and falling back to lay in the grass for a break, Armin copying him and enjoying the breeze.

Armin talked with Mikasa about something at length, Eren being too busy staring at a bird in the tree above them, stretching its wings before taking flight. Envy bubbled in his chest and all of a sudden, his wings ached with such a ferocity that had him bolting up to his feet.

He ignored the surprised noise from his two companions, marching up to the tree and looking it up and down. He backed up a little, then leapt. He clambered up the tree, scurrying into the thick branches above. He still ached for the sky again but the effort made the unused muscles in his shoulder loosen, pain fading out.

“Eren, careful!” Armin shouted, panic in his face. Mikasa had stood up as well, eyes huge. 

“I’m fine!” He called back down. “Climb good! Promise!”

The two seemed to calm down a little after that. Eren climbed down eventually, nothing more than a scrape or two to show for his mad scramble upwards. As the sun began to settle towards the horizon, the three had fallen into a companionable silence, dozing calmly. 

Eren cleared his throat. “Do wish to go Beyond?”

Armin glanced aside at him, hair sprawled in the grass. “What do you mean?”

“Beyond the Wall?” Eren continued, watching their expressions. Mikasa seemed just as unbothered as ever, but Armin looked hopeful.

“I think we all do, deep down,” Armin said, staring up at the sky. “I want to see the sea one day.”

“The… sea?”

“It's only ever in books,” Armin admitted, looking a little embarrassed. Mikasa looked put-upon. “It's a great big ocean, just, a huge body of salt water. Salt water!”

An image flashed in his mind, a vast shimmering blue stretching as far as the eye could see. The tangy, salty smell riding the breeze alongside him as he flew. It was a sea? An ocean? 

“I- It sounds beautiful. You see one day, Armin, I’ll bring you to it if I have to!”

Armin looked dumb-founded, before his face broke into a smile. “Thanks, Eren.”

Eren nodded and leaned back in the grass again. Though his face was smooth and he looked asleep, a thick storm roared to life behind his eyes. Anger and fury curled into one thunderous cloud, it was unfair. 

Eren had his wings, he could just fly beyond. He could come and go as he went! But, Armin, Mikasa, they were _trapped_ here. Like birds in cages, prime for the picking. How could the Stone-people have stuck themselves like this? And some complained and _hated_ that the Scouts _tried_?

* * *

“Bye, Eren!”  
“Bye, Eren.”

The boy scampered up the stone steps and inside his house with a happy wave. Mikasa and Armin turned to travel back to their own home. They took a slightly longer route, the sun wouldn’t be going down that soon. 

“Have you ever seen Eren’s mom?” Armin asked Mikasa, glancing aside at her. She nodded, black hair falling over her shoulder.

“I saw her in the market last when I went with your grandpa. Everyone likes her.”

“I’ve only seen her a few times but she seemed nice,” Armin agreed before he frowned. “I just… don’t get why he doesn’t have any understanding of things _everyone_ knows. He’s older than us but barely knows anything about the Walls, he _still_ calls them the Stone sometimes.”

Mikasa shrugged. “He’s weird.”

Armin’s eyes dropped to the road. “It’s mean to say that. The other boys think _I’m_ weird.”

“You are,” Mikasa replied. “It doesn’t mean I don’t like you.”

“Do you like Eren?” 

“He’s… nice.”

“Just nice?” Mikasa hummed in agreement. “Well, if you say so.”

* * *

A few more months past, bringing Eren to thirteen and the other two to ten years old. They all chose a day to celebrate together, bringing snacks and sweets to their meet-up spot. 

“Glad I met you,” Eren grinned. “Glad you are my friends.”

“Me too, Eren!” Armin laughed while Mikasa nodded in agreement. “Let nothing separate us!” 

“Nothing will if I can stop it!” Eren shouted in vehemence. The group fell into laughs and jokes as the clouds overhead drifted by… and two sets of eyes stared at the wall from Beyond.

* * *

Eren had been on his way to see Mikasa and Armin in the town square when an eerie silence overtook every road, heads turning to stare at one pinpoint. Eren squinted as he realized the sun had been blocked out. He glanced upwards, terror striking through his heart like a blade.

Beady eyes glared down at them all.

Then the screams began. A crack and rumbling and then a cruel gust of wind was pushing him backwards down the road, cries of panic and fear overtook his hearing and fleeing bodies took his sight. His wings tried to flare, stretching dangerously against his harness fruitlessly in an attempt to catch the wind. An avian screech tore free of his lungs but it was blotted out my other shrieks and noises. He tore off into the empty streets, ignoring the terrifying snippets that passed through his ears.

“They’re coming in!”

“Run! Run!”

“Don’t let them get me, don’t let _them get me, PLEASE_!”

“GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

He ran towards home, trying to make sense of the crowds and confusing streets. He fell across the ground as he tripped over someone’s ankle, overbalancing in his panic and colliding with the bricks. He dodged feet, only barely avoiding getting a bruise stomped into his ribs. A sword clattered to the ground not far from him and his gaze was yanked upwards. The man who dropped it was hanging from a Titan’s jowls, teeth slowly chewing away at his chest, dead blue eyes stared right at him. 

He began to shake, scrambling up to his feet and away, skittering past a greedy hand looking for seconds. He heard a child scream and slid to a stop around the corner. 

_Sunheart, Mooneye! He can’t leave them!_ **_They could die!_ **

Eren’s teeth clenched in a violent hiss and he turned on his heel, hurrying down another street. He needed to find them, he needed to find them, he needed to find them! He tore down street after street, trying to find the house he had once seen the two go into. Rubble, gore, and debris littered the streets, only broken up by the fleeing, the injured, and the **_monsters_ **.

As one slobbered over a corpse, Eren felt anger curdling his face, making him snarl and his wings to strain.  
  
 _I’ll kill them._ **_I’ll kill them all!_ **

A loud crash sounded to his left and he moved on before the Titan could set its eyes on him. He coughed as a dust cloud lingered in the air, casting an odd silence over the area.

“Mikasa! Don’t move, you could tip it!” Sunheart’s voice! Eren sprinted forwards as the dust began to settle, revealing the fallen building, Mikasa trapped beneath the edge of the roof and Armin kneeled just before her, tears coursing down his face and blood spattering hers.

“Sunheart! Mooneye!” He cried, pushing himself forward despite the anger and adrenaline and concern that had his knees weak and shaking.

“Eren!” Armin shouted. “You have to get help! Mikasa’s stuck and I- I can’t lift it!”

“Eren, where’s… where’s your mother?” Mikasa asked, voice weak and breathy. His heart twisted in dismay at what might have happened to his mother. _No, she’s strong. She’ll fly out._

“Calm, calm,” He tried to urge, catching his breath as quickly as he could manage. He moved closer to the roof, bracing his fingers beneath the edge and trying to lift. Every muscle twinged, but he couldn’t balance himself right, and the roof hardly budged. He tried again, letting out a grunt of exertion behind his teeth.

Sunhe- _Armin_ whimpered, clutching at Mikasa’s hand. Thundering steps echoed, growing closer with each stride. He could see the rising panic on each of his friends’ faces. He turned to look, praying it was just a small one. He wanted to scream curse after curse as a fifteen-meter approached, swaying with each step, an eternal grin stitched on its face.

He heard Armin give another whimper, too frozen by his horror to even think of fleeing, not that he would, he wasn’t the type to--

Eren had a decision and no time to decide! 

He braced himself against the roof again, gritting his teeth and then _pushed_. The straps refused to give way! He tried again, and again, each time, the material straining. He cursed aloud, pulling up his shirt to his shoulders. Mikasa’s eyes went huge as she saw the straps adorning his torso.

“Armin!” Eren shouted but the blonde boy was still frozen, dread marring his face. “ _Sunheart!_ ”

Armin jerked, glancing over at the high screech, freezing again at what he could see and Mikasa could not.

“Armin, listen!” Eren pleaded. “Need release strap! The back, the back! Hurry!”

The boy didn’t move. 

“ARMIN!” He begged. “Help Mikasa, need help, need hurry! Release strap! We die if you don’t!”

That seemed to get Armin’s head on straight, for he inhaled sharply and scrambled forwards, shaking hands grabbing at the straps. Eren could feel the moment his fingers snagged on the release and nodded vigorously. Armin managed to pull it with his feeble grip. Eren couldn’t wait for the boy to get out of range!

His wings snapped outwards, slamming and knocking Armin back onto his rear. Eren beat them furiously, as he braced against the roof, no time to bask in the relief of them being free. The wood gave a groan and he could hear a few more snaps but he kept lifting and lifting, the roof rose far enough off of Mikasa so she could crawl out, helped by Armin yanking on her arms. 

“W...wings…?” Armin whispered but his attention was once more robbed by the titan that leered over them, its shadow blocking out the sky. Mikasa’s eyes had already gone dull in shock and Armin was quickly following. He took them into his arms with as firm of a grip as he could manage before taking flight. It had been so long--the elation he felt almost eclipsed the negativity that wracked him.

The bases of his wings strained something fierce, and he almost thought the three were going to fall from the sky and into the awaiting mouth of the grinning Titan still reaching towards them. 

He carried them onto the highest rooftop he could find before collapsing. He let his wings lay loose on the ground, loosened feathers slipping loose as he panted and kneeled besides his friends. Armin managed to pull himself up, staring in disbelief at Eren, while Mikasa still lay there, trembling. 

He frowned in concern, reaching up to remove his scarf. He had almost forgotten about it most mornings, only remembering to put it on at his mother’s behest. It hid any straps that might be revealed by his shirt’s neckline. No need to worry about that now. He wrapped the scarf as well as he could manage, trying to keep his touch gentle before plopping the tail end of the scarf on her head, provoking a shaky smile.

Eren bit his lip, looking at them both, torn. Then he lurched forward, pulling the two into a tight hug. 

“I’m sorry,” He said, beginning to cry. “I lied.”

He could hear a disbelieving breath from Armin in protest, wrapping his previously limp arms around the older boy; Mikasa followed suit, her grip much tighter. 

“Thank you,” Mikasa whispered. Tears gathered in each of their eyes as they sat there, embraced as the chaos below continued to echo. It could all wait, for just a moment.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not, there was meant to be more to this chapter! But I felt like enough happened that any more would just feel _too_ much. Hope you all liked it! We're getting to the good stuff now.


	5. Territory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets Mikasa and Armin to safety, but at what cost?  
> Later, he finds some mysterious beasts that have wandered much too far from home than they ought to have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter? So soon?  
> I was really surprised that I've been able to write so consistently as of recent, maybe its the lovely comments (thank you so much for those by the way, they really make me feel happy about my chapters!) or just some weird surge of motivation, but I don't want it to end.
> 
> For this chapter, I've actually got a little surprise! Well, surprise is a little debatable. I was kind of pondering on Eren's anatomy and 3DMG so I had to throw together some sketches and well, it kind of expanded from there. Its just a few doodles, nothing too crazy but it definitely helped me figure out things.  
> [Eren & Carla Sketches - 3DMG Harness - Shirt I](https://jackalcackle.tumblr.com/post/644090210750234624/sf-sketches-i)

Only when night fell did the three move about. Mikasa had an injured leg from the collapse so he had to be careful of jostling her. It was a little precarious but he managed to take flight, wings beating in an unsteady beat as he adjusted to the weight in his arms, thankfully, the two were very even in size and it made it easy to balance out. 

Despite the broken glass that glittered in the moonlight and the rubble that littered the streets, Mikasa’s and Armin’s eyes were wide in wonder as he carried them towards the inner wall (at the two’s direction)... and if he let himself curve around buildings in wider than necessary arcs, who was to tell? His wings ached fiercely, already having been weakened from lack of flight, but he powered through.

As the wall came up just before them, he hissed out, “Brace.”

His wings flapped harshly as he climbed, he could see Mikasa wince as her leg moved with each rise. He could see the glimmer of torches atop the Stone and remembered that Stone people tended to patrol the tops. He kept going upwards, passing the wall’s top until he was cloaked in the dark of the night sky. 

“It all looks so small…” Armin whispered, blue eyes staring downwards. Mikasa nodded in agreement, Eren just gave them a sympathetic smile. Flight had a way of making things look tiny, even the hole that revealed Wall Maria’s innards to the now slumbering Titans.

He had to stop for rest half way through the territory for fear of dropping himself, Armin, and Mikasa out of the sky. He managed to land and the three sat in a field for half an hour as Eren napped, the other two were only reassured by Eren’s “ _Titans no danger, at night, they sleep._ ”

Otherwise, the two would’ve been a lot more hair-trigger. 

He took flight again, a little shakier this time but when the inner wall rose up in front of him, Eren breathed a sigh of relief. He spotted two men atop it, too busy gathered around a fire to notice Eren and his companions swathed in darkness above. He set into a glide, eyes peering through the night gloom to see the slumped and gathered people below, also crowding around fires, speaking in a low hum. 

He swerved downwards behind a darkened building, legs swinging forward to catch their landing. He grunted at the impact, his wings falling loose to the ground once he was close enough to the ground, he fell to his knees with a wince. 

Mikasa and Armin managed to catch themselves better than him, Armin looking in concern at her only for her to shake her head and hobble forward to Eren’s side. He breathed heavily through his nose, muscles burning with exertion. 

“Are you okay?” Mikasa asked and Eren huffed an exhausted laugh.

“Fine, am fine,” He replied, rising to his feet, flexing his shaky knees. “Where now?”  
  
“We need to find my Grandpa,” Armin said, a crease to his brow. “He has to be here.”

Mikasa had a sad look on her face but nodded anyways, doing her best to follow with dragging steps. Eren frowned, looking to his wing harness and huffing at his shirt, the back still caught around the top of his wings. He tried to fold them in and hissed aloud at the twinge the mere flex ran through them. He closed his eyes, dragging them in bit by bit despite the pain. 

“ _Almost_ ,” He gritted out, managing to pull his shirt back down. He felt someone come up behind him and take hold of the wing harness, carefully netting the feathers and re-fastening the strap. He let out a surprised chirp, turning to blink owlishly at Sunheart who just gave a weary smile in response. Eren rolled his shoulders and motioned for the two younger children to lead the way, stooping to help support Mikasa’s weight off her injured leg and making their pace quicker. 

Eventually, Armin slowed to a halt in-between all the ‘ _refugees_ ’ (as Armin called them), looking desperate and in despair. 

“I- I can’t-” He hiccuped, a hand coming up to his mouth. Eren carefully let Mikasa balance on her own, glancing around in confusion as each face looked near the same to him, he frowned in thought till his eyes landed on a trio of people off to the side, dressed in tan _‘jackets’_ and white trousers, the back of their coats didn’t have wings but they did have the roses!

He yanked on Armin’s sleeve, pointing at one of them and made a questioning chirr. Armin’s eyes lit up, glancing disbelieving between Eren and the trio before breaking into a sprint towards them.

“Hannes!”

Eren shaped the word in his mouth with confusion, nose wrinkling at the weird sensation as he helped Mikasa limp over in a hurry. 

“Armin! Mikasa!” This… _Hannes_ shouted as he whirled on his heel and ran towards them, meeting Armin half way. “You made it safe! I couldn’t find you! Are you alright?”

“Thanks to Eren!” Armin said, explaining in a rush. “Mikasa got stuck under the roof and Eren helped get her out.”

Hannes turned and Eren quailed under the look of confusion and pure gratitude on the man’s face. 

“Thank you,” He said, eyes wet. “You got them here safe. Thank you.”

“Welcome,” Eren managed to say, letting Hannes pick up Mikasa. The man then turned, ruffling Armin’s hair.

“Let’s get you all to your Grandpa, Armin,” Hannes said and Armin eagerly followed him. Eren only tailed after Mikasa had glanced back in confusion, they went down twists and turns until Armin gasped.

“Grandpa!” Armin cried, embracing the older man that Eren had gotten used to seeing at Armin and Mikasa’s home. The man embraced the two children, gaze flicking up to regard Eren warmly with concern. 

“Eren, I’m glad you’re safe too,” Armin’s Grandfather said. “Where’s your mother?”

Eren hesitated a moment, unsure of where she had gone or if she was even-- _she’s alive, she has to be._ He just offered a shaky, tired smile and replied, “She’s safe.”

The man nodded in relief, “I’m happy to hear it.”

Eren just rocked on his heels, nodding in agreement, fear rising up to choke him. He sat besides his two friends as they settled in, Mr. Arlert (Armin’s Grandfather) and Hannes spoke together in hushed tones a bit away. 

“Eren, is your mom really okay?” Mikasa asked, reaching over to grab her arm. Eren just forced himself to nod and he stood up, brushing himself off. 

“Yes, I go to find her now,” Eren answered, cutting them off as they began to protest. “She’s like I, wings.”

A high trilling sound echoed through the air, cutting through the silent air above. Eren’s heart swelled with joy and relief and love, he nearly called back a high croon of happiness but kept his lips sealed. He turned to go then paused, glancing back, a sudden wash of sadness making him hesitate.

“I…” Eren paused. “I don’t know if I return.”

“What do you mean?” Armin asked, lurching to sit up, despair already rising again. Eren bit his lip.

“We go Beyond, live Beyond, I was born Beyond,” Eren tried to explain and realization dawned on both of their faces. “Mother, hide us away. I… I want to see you again.”

Tears had begun to wet his eyes. This might be goodbye. This could be goodbye…? His mother would be angry that he had shown his wings, wouldn’t she? She would never let him return! But, he wanted to be sure she was safe… but… Sunheart, Mooneye, they looked so devastated as his words sunk in. 

A tear slipped down his cheek and he realized the other two had begun to cry as well, understanding. Always understanding. He took a few wobbling steps forward and pulled them into a tight hug. 

“Will see you, _will_ see you,” Eren said, vehement, he wanted nothing more than to wrap his wings around them again. He opened his mouth, then hesitated again, then pushed through, “ _We will meet again, Sunheart, Mooneye, I promise it. I promise it with my heart. Upon my wings._ ”

He could see the heartbreak and rising grief and the wonder at his avian words, twisted and trilled and crooned and so unlike the Stone language. He smiled and then, he ran.

  
  


Once he had reached an isolated corner, he had released his wings once more, taking flight and taking deep breaths before calling back that high _‘I’m here, where are you?’_ cry. His wings carried him towards home of their own volition, honing in on the path he had only flown once, knowing deep down, it was where he was most likely to find his mother. 

He could hear her respond some way down the route, her call older and wreathed in more tones of relief, of love, and of anger. 

When he made it to the Nest, he collapsed upon the familiar structure, falling forward to the wooden flooring as sleep swallowed him up. He was far too tired to even react to the worried crooning of his mother before he was gone.

* * *

When he awoke, he was placed carefully in his bed and just a few twitches made aches ring through his bones. His wings were free and a shirt with an open back had been clasped onto him, much to his relief. The woolen long sleeve was nice but it had scrubbed the top of his wings raw from the flight yesterday. 

Eren sat up with a whine of pain, shoulders _burning_ as he dared lean himself on his palms. He leaned forward, eyes clenched shut against the buzzing sensation in his back. 

When they opened, his mother was by his bed, she breathed a heavy sigh when she realized he was moving just fine. She smiled, combing fingers through his hair.

“ _I feared the worst_ ,” She admitted, brows twitching upwards and he feared she might cry. “ _I couldn’t find you._ ”

“ _Sorry, sorry,_ ” He crooned in apology, wings flexing inwards and outwards as he tested what hurt and didn’t. “ _I couldn’t-- I couldn’t leave Sunheart and Mooneye._ ”

His mother’s expression twisted. 

“ _I couldn’t! Mikasa-Mooneye was stuck under a roof, I had to get her out!_ ”

“ _How did you help her?”_ Her tone was caught somewhere between disbelief and ice. 

“ _I had to lift it! Her leg was caught,_ ” Eren explained, words tumbling out of his mouth. “ _I tried lifting it with just my arms but I couldn’t! I had to… I had to use my wings._ ”

He tried to brace himself for her wrath but she was silent.

“ _Armin-Sunheart hit the release and I got her out. I carried them up onto a building, and then flew them to Wall Rose, to Armin’s_ Grandfather. _”_

“ _Who saw them?_ ” He knew she meant the wings.

“ _Just Armin-Sunheart and Mikasa-Mooneye,_ ” Eren answered, eyes dropping into his lap. His mother stood, pacing to the edge of the nest. Her wings were held tight to her back and he wondered why, why hadn’t she begun to screech and timber at him? He’d revealed his wings, that was the most terrible thing he could’ve done in his mother’s eyes… and yet, she turned around and walked back over, face pinched and torn, before hugging him.

“ _You revealed us, but you did it for the right reason, Eren,_ ” She said, letting loose another deep breath. “ _You did it for the best reason of all._ _We can’t return to the Stone, not for a while, but it's not to punish you. It's for our own good._ ”

He knew they couldn’t go back, but the confirmation sunk a blade of ice into his heart all over again.

" _Its for their own good too,_ " She continued, a sad smile on her face. " _We don't want to take from their already limited supplies, okay?_ "

* * *

Eren missed them dearly.

It had been a year since he had last been to the Stone, but he missed sitting in the sun, in the grass, laughing with Armin as Mikasa watched on with amusement. He missed their running down the streets. 

He missed their quiet talks, he missed their lessons.

He did his best to keep learning but, his mother wasn’t the most forthcoming on the topic. He had spent a year with them and then spent another year on his own in the forest. He was fourteen, the two must be eleven now. His heart panged with loss and longing but he couldn’t bring himself to fly back to the Stone.

The extra year had seen new changes come to him, sprouting feathers in his hair similar to his mother, though her long hair disguised them well. His had stuck out at first, being short and stiff, making his mother laugh and liken him to a dandelion. They eventually had grown longer and sparser, making them easy to either hide among his own longer hair or they could easily be mistaken for odd adornments. He shook his head, what was he thinking? He had no one to hide them from out here, not even the Stone people, the _Scouts_ came out this far anymore.

Oddly enough, when the next Spring rolled around, his long primaries had molted out back to the abnormal viridian of his fledgling years. He recalled his mother’s explanation and grew to hate the color. It wasn’t like he even had someone to present his wings to.

With a sigh, he took flight to patrol the eastern edge of the forest.

As the grass and trees passed, he flipped and weaved between the trunks, diving and rolling through the branches and gliding down to brush his feet against the surface of one of the bubbling streams. 

A loud shriek cut the air and his heart hammered as he climbed upwards, wings beating a frantic pace to get him away from whatever had uttered such a horrific noise! His hand fell from his ear, having been raised there in his panic.

His eyes fell on a black beast at the edge of the stream, head tossed high and eyes flashing their whites. He blinked as he realized it was a horse, its face harness _thing_ caught on a bush that held stubborn to the rocks. He looked around and noticed several horses, all varying shades of black, brown, and white. Eren carefully crept forward, taking hold of the caught line and pulling, he frowned as it refused to give. 

“Sorry,” He hummed as he brought his sharpened nails to the material and in a few rasps, cut through. Now freed, the horse seemed to calm, loud hooves settling against the ground so it could paw its nose at his hands. “I have nothing to give you.”

He glanced to the side, in the direction he _knew_ the Stone to be before turning back to the horses.

“Far from home,” He said. “Very far.”

He walked towards the edge of the forest, the horses following suit, the black-coated one always closest behind him. He turned and stared at it, something niggling at his thoughts before the flash of Silvereye atop a horse so very similar to this one. He blinked and realized, this must be the very same!

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” Eren continued as he stepped forwards to the field, a few horses broke off, walking the wrong way. He stopped, a frown turning his features before he realized the horses were eating at the grasses and wild grains. “Oh.”

He replaced his attention on the black horse as it browsed the ground, keeping a dark eye on him all the while. He marveled at the _saddle_ atop its back and reached out, pulling on it experimentally, the horse only swayed a bit but didn’t seem to pay much other attention. He stepped up to its side, putting a hand in the odd triangular piece dangling at the side. 

He canted his head in fascination, trying to summon up all memories he had of horses and their odd equipment. Eren eased a foot into the triangle, putting his weight on it, the horse shifted with him and raised its head, glancing back as it continued to chew. He swung his leg over, wings flaring out in brief apprehension as the horse stilled.

Then, the horse just huffed a great breath, taking a step forward. He marveled at the feeling of its great ribs expanding and contracting, he could feel the deep thrumming heartbeat, could feel the movement of every muscle. 

“Amazing,” He breathed then patted the horse’s front shoulder, frowning when the horse didn’t move forward. He rocked in the saddle but that didn’t do much either. He clicked in frustration and the horse’s ears perked, moving forward before stopping again. “ _Is that how you know to go?_ ”

He repeated the noise and the horse moved forward and then when he did it a few more times, the horse picked up speed, making him grip at the thin saddle as he was jostled around the first few strides. He remembered that the Stone people _stood_ and he did the same, hunching over letting his knees and hips take the majority of the motion. 

The horse thundered onwards, breaths becoming harsher and heavier and the horses who had been browsing all trumpeted and chased after. He laughed in elation, trilling aloud in victory as the horses flew across the meadows and fields, the far off Stone slowly revealing itself.

“ _You’re like one of those…_ Queens _,”_ Eren said, nodding to himself. “ _Konign, that’s you._ _Don’t know what Silvereye calls you but, this is what I’ll name you for now. Okay?”_

The horse gave no reply, powering forward. Apprehension rose up in his chest as they galloped towards the broken gate of Shiganshina, not hesitating to run between Titan feet, though they were few and far between. He realized with a start, just how long this journey might take. When the sun set on the first day, he knew the horses were exhausted and they slept for several hours before he pushed them on again. At noon the next day, they stopped again for a break and he lamented his foolish decision. 

It wasn’t a manner of speed that was making them so slow to cover ground, it was the physical limitation of the horses. They could only travel a finite distance before they had to stop for rest. He did feel bad for pushing them so hard but with each day, he could feel his mother growing worried.

The horses continued forward and eventually made it through the second ruined gate of Wall Maria. He curled his wings around himself, hiding all trace of human appearance, his wild scent disguising him from curious Titan noses. He had never stopped to see if they had a taste for him too but he didn’t want to check. They had to stop for the night again.

When the pristine gate of Trost rose up before him, he took flight from Konign’s back, she glanced back, hooves slowing as she began to stop. He urged her forward with more clicking.

“I’m not one of yours,” He said sadly, flying forward as long as he could be mistaken for a large bird. Night had fallen and the Titans had lurched to sleep, so when shouts of Stone dialect sounded and a platform was lowered from the top of the Wall, Eren broke off. “ _Good luck._ ”

Then he had to travel all the way back home on his own wings, which though he was tired and hungry, wouldn’t take nearly as long as the hoofbeasts did.

* * *

“Mother?” He called, landing on the nest and peering around in confusion. He sniffed the air, his mother hadn’t been here in at least a day? He frowned before a loud, panic-ridden hoot sounded across the woods, he was off like a shot, hurrying to find the owl hollow.

The owl therein had ruffled feathers and looked scared, **_Guardian-childe! Seek your mother, you must! Guardian-Mother has been injured! Go to her, find her to the North, go now!_ **

He spared not a moment more. He cried and called out to the forest, “ **_Where? Where? Mother?_ **”

A bird fell in besides him, flapping frantically to stay ahead, leading him through turns and twists until he spotted his mother, slumped on the ground against a tree trunk.

“ _Mother!_ ” He cried in panic, heart sinking as her head only just lifted. Blood speckled down her front, and his nose wrinkled at the scent of blood and illness that hung in the air. He hurried forward, shaking her arms. “ _Mother, please, please, mother!_ ”

“ _... Eren…?”_ She croaked and he purred and shook her harder. 

“ _Stay with me, stay with me,_ ” He begged. “ _What happened?_ ”

“ _Titans,_ ” She rasped. “ _Took down one… didn’t see the other until I collided with it, grabbed--_ ”

She coughed, her breath rattled in her chest and it made him sick with worry. He couldn’t lift her, he knew he couldn’t, not with her massive wings adding to her already greater weight. Cool scales brushed his ankle and he looked down, seeing a familiar snake.

 **_Bring her to the Glen_** , The snake hissed. **_The one further North, separate from Ours. If Empty-Ones come into the Forest, they will not be able to reach Her there._ **

Eren nodded, head feeling loose on his shoulders as a wolf pack entered the clearing, the frontmost wolf bending its knee to him. He took his mother’s cape off, a long furl of cloth she had gotten used to wearing and laid it on the ground. He took a long sizable stick and rolled it in the top stretch of fabric. 

The first two wolves stepped forward, taking each end of the stick in their mouths. He went over to his mother, pulling her as carefully as he could manage onto the material, she hissed in pain but otherwise didn’t protest. The wolves set off at a slow pace and he tailed them just to make sure his mother wasn’t going to slide off. The glen rose up before them, boulders marking the edges and hiding the inner side from anything that might try to invade. He realized with a sniffle that it was almost a smaller version of the Walls, bracketed by massive trees.

He got his mom as situated as he could, flying to and from the Nest with furs and blankets to make bedding. They couldn’t get her up high so he had to make her comfortable. His mother sunk to sleep not long after she had gotten settled into her new bedding and he kneeled at her side, fists clenching at his thighs. His eyes grew hot with shameful tears, _I should have been here. How long had she been laying on the forest floor? Wasting away?_

His shoulders shook with sobs only just held in. His wings curled down around his shoulders as if to soothe him. Fury roared to life when he opened his eyes again, eyes stuck on the crimson that marked the front of his mother’s tunic. A low rumble started in his chest and he rose to his feet as rain began to fall through the trees above. Far off, he heard the steps of a Titan and the growl doubled, his fists clenched, talons pressing dangerous to his skin.

A wolf walked forward again, eyes a glittering brown, something clenched in its teeth. He recognized it, his mother’s blade. She must have dropped it when she had fallen. He took it, one hand wrapped around the hilt and the other hand coming to trace the blade with a nail. He frowned, his mother only had one, the Scouts had two, if not more, sheathed at their hips. 

Eren placed his mother’s blade where it belonged, at her side, within reach should she need it. He was up in the air again, a destination held firm in mind. He needed to raid the Scout’s building.

It was a strange thing, broken down and dusty, but still, they visited it at least half the times he had seen them, sometimes leaving things and other times taking things. He crept up to the front of it, fearful someone might be inside before easing open the unlocked door. He supposed they didn’t have to fear anyone breaking into them, until now that is.

Confident it was devoid of human life, he strode in, closing the door behind him to avoid drawing attention. The first thing to meet his eye was a dusty set of beds and a table, off to the left, the majority of the empty space, was filled with racks. Hung on the walls were sets of black vines, all neat and coiled like a striking viper. The set of racks closest to him had odd silver cylinders, he could only just recognize them as pieces of the odd boxes the Scouts wore at their hips. He dismissed them, not interested in the slightest. He went past them, frowning until he found his quarry. 

Sets of blades without hilts were all slotted in with each other, he picked one up, careful of the thin edge. He put it back, looking for his next target. Up against the very back wall were the odd rectangles, _not interested_ , he almost turned around before he noticed each was equipped with blade sets and accompanying hilts. He scowled.

“ _These are too much to carry back,_ ” He complained, crossing his arms. “ _I should only take a set of blades, that’s all I need._ ”

Still, it was _tempting_. To try to use the odd gear that the Scouts used to fly and swing. Eren cursed the sky and then began to gather everything up. 

All the straps made his wing harness look easy! His brows furrowed as he appraised the back plate, there was no way that could sit over his wings and no way it could sit over them. He appraised it, turning and tilting it this way and that. He removed it, pulling the straps out of the piece, and then went about getting everything on right.

He managed to find a drawn picture, pinned up against the wall closest to the table and used that as some kind of guide, though it lacked any legible words and had no actual directions. It took many failed attempts but soon enough, he was all sorted, though he was reluctant to confirm it. 

He was in the midst of finding out how to attach the odd squares and their _machinery_ when an acidic thought struck him. _Wasting time on Stone toys instead of worrying about protecting the Forest or caring for mother!_

He ripped everything off, tossing it back to the floor with a snarl. He whirled, ripping two blades (equipped with hilts) out of one of the boxes and marching straight back out of the building, he had no time to waste.

The storm was getting to its tempest as he went from shadow to shadow, eyes glaring at any flash of Titan skin that dared taint the Forest of his home.

**He wouldn't let it happen.**

Eren was doing this for his mother, for his friends, for the people locked within the Walls. He took firm grip of the blades, singling in on his target, all fear banished from his mind. His wings thundered, feathers slicing the air as he gathered momentum before they stopped, curling tight to his body as he dove. Time seemed to slow as he approached.

A culmination of memories of the Scouts and his mother carried him through the motion. He twisted, bringing up the blades, sharp edges singing from the velocity. He bared his teeth, twisted and the blades made blessed contact, it felt unlike any meat he had cut before, it gave almost _too_ easily. He let himself plummet a ways before his wings snapped back out, carrying him back upwards in easy beats. 

Steam kissed his skin and he could feel the vague burns as blood evaporated from his skin, the Titan tumbled forward into a boneless heap with a gurgle and he grinned so wide his lips hurt. His blood ran through his veins with satisfaction and invigoration, he could hear more steps further off and leaned over, balancing on his toes, one hand against the bark of the branch below him.

**He could get used to this.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! This chapter was actually quite a bit longer but again I broke it in half so I wasn't just mashing a lot into one chapter. I originally was going to make Carla's injury a sort of one-chapter thing but I do think she deserves more... that sounds horrific. I mean she deserves more of a spotlight. 
> 
> Next chapter will carry us through a death and Eren's return to the Walls and reunion with his friends just in time for _training_! There's going to be some more (avian-focused) bonding then probably a little time skip to the end of their training with only little blurbs written at certain events. See you in the next chapter!


End file.
